Air France to launch auction for its inaugural A380 flights

If you're an aeroplane enthusiast living in France, November 20 is perhaps a date to mark in your diary.

That's the date for the inaugural flight of Air France's first Airbus A380, and the company is planning to sell seats on the 'plane, which will fly from Paris to New York, to the highest bidders.

A similar auction will be held for the flight connecting the City of Light with the Big Apple for the following day.

The proceeds from the ticket sales will go to three charities backed by the Fondation Air France (Air France Foundation) , which "supports projects that benefit children and young people who are ill, disabled or destitute in France or in other parts of the world where Air France is present."

You can't actually start bidding yet though. The auction won't take place until the beginning of October, but already those who are interested can pop along to the company's web site and register their email address.

While the flight will undoubtedly be a treat for those who would like to spoil themselves, just have to be among the first do anything and have the spare cash (and time) available to pay more than the going rate, the return trips will be on another 'plane.

The airline is trying hard to make the "offer" sound enticing, pointing out that successful bidders will be "The first to make the flight across the Atlantic in an A380 flying the Air France colours" and can "Take advantage of an 'exclusive programme' comprising shopping, private sales and a selection of galleries and museums."

But perhaps the best reason for bidding in the first place would be that it's all in a good cause.

There again, if you can wait just a couple of days or are planning to make a trip to New York later, you could find yourself booked on the superjumbo, as the first Air France commercial flight from Paris to New York is scheduled for November 23.

Those seats are apparently being snapped up with only around 130 places remaining.

"We started discreetly selling tickets for those flights last week and then earlier this week opened the sale officially," a representative for the airline told the national daily Libération.

"Half the 'plane is already full with travellers who didn't realise they would be booked on the A380, but thought that they would be taking the usual 'plane (used for the route) - a Boeing 777."

Air France has ordered a total of 12 superjumbos and by spring 2010 plans to have four of them in operation serving three other long-haul destinations alongside New York; Johannesburg, Dubai and Tokyo.

At the moment only three other companies fly the A380; Emirates, Qantas and Singapore Airlines.

The first commercial flight of the superjumbo was with Singapore Airlines in October 2007.